Federal Grant Award Summary

Georgia TECH Research Corp received a $595,041 Project Grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) under the Cancer Treatment Research program (CFDA 93.395) effective July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2031. The research initiative will develop and validate computational and experimental approaches to overcome radiotherapy resistance in head and neck cancer patients by targeting coupled redox and lipid metabolic pathways. The project will deliver genome-scale metabolic modeling platforms that identify patient-specific vulnerabilities in mitochondrial NADPH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate) production and polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism, combined with experimental testing protocols using mouse models to assess the efficacy of molecular therapies and dietary interventions designed to enhance radiation sensitivity and antitumor immunity.

The research will culminate in evidence-based clinical guidance and therapeutic protocols addressing spatial heterogeneity within tumor microenvironments and predicting individual patient responses to combined radiotherapy, pharmacological redox modulators, and customized lipid-modifying diets. Deliverables will include validated computational models integrating spatial flux balance analysis with nutrient transport descriptions, experimental data demonstrating ferroptosis-based mechanisms of radiotherapy sensitization, and patient-specific response predictions to inform improved survival outcomes for radioresistant head and neck cancer patients. This work supports the NCI's broader Cancer Treatment Research mission to develop improved methods for curing cancer patients and controlling disease through fundamental and applied research in novel therapeutic modalities.